marginalize
verb
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Marginalized Writing vs. Marginalized People
Marginalize provides a striking case of how thoroughly the figurative use of a word can take over the literal one. The original (and now obsolete) meaning of this word, “to write notes in the margin of,” is analogous to the still-familiar noun marginalia “marginal notes or embellishments." A margin is, of course, the blank space surrounding the text in a book. Just prior to 1970, marginalize took on the sense that is most commonly encountered today, “to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position” (that is, to the metaphorical margins of society). This use of the word can be found as far back as 1968; an article in The Los Angeles Times from June 20th of that year reports, “[T]he Negro was kept aside, marginalized, thus composing in its large majority the chronically poor.” In its newer sense, marginalize has assumed a much more prominent place in the vocabulary than it once had.
Examples of marginalize in a Sentence
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
The social stakes of slouching are also higher for the politically marginalized.
—Beth Linker, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Determined to consolidate his power, Abiy turned against those leaders, marginalizing some, detaining others, and using military repression against the guerillas of the Oromo Liberation Front.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
At the onset of the genocide, Muslims were socially and economically marginalized in Rwanda, said Salim Hitimana, the mufti of Rwanda.
—Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Murad understood the difficulties that marginalized people face in America, for his own father was an Arabic-speaking, Jewish immigrant from Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
And how will economically marginalized people gain equitable access to gene therapies that hold the greatest promise for them?
—Edward Abrahams and Christopher J. Wells, STAT, 5 Apr. 2024
Affinity centers provide academic advising and cultural resources to student groups who have been historically marginalized.
—Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024
It is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has over the past decade made headlines for passing some of the country’s most controversial laws that critics say discriminate against Muslims and marginalize them in the secular republic.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marginalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near marginalize
Cite this Entry
“Marginalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marginalize. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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marginalize
verb
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